Naruto - Leader of Kusagakure

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"Madara-sama?"

"Madara-sama?"

Zetsu's gentle voice reverberated within the hidden underground hideout.

Not receiving a response from Madara-sama, Zetsu let out a relieved sigh and muttered to himself, "Seems like Madara-sama is still asleep!"

That meant he wouldn't be caught.

Just as he finished speaking, a triumphant expression crossed his face. He cautiously extended his right foot into the cave.

"You've returned?" A cold and indifferent voice resounded from the depths of the cave, startling Zetsu. He quickly retracted his foot and peered inside. After a moment, he cautiously poked his head out, only to withdraw it immediately.

Spotting Madara-sama inside with his dazed eyes and expressionless face, a sheepish smile formed on Zetsu's lips. "Madara-sama, are you awake?"

He hastily concealed his precious sketchbook, approached with a skip in his step, and presented a string of tri-colored dango with cheerful enthusiasm. "Actually, Madara-sama, I didn't go out to play or out of curiosity for the festivities outside. I simply wanted to buy this string of tri-colored dango for you!"

As he finished speaking...

Madara's expression slightly froze. He silently observed Zetsu holding the tri-colored dango, and the coldness that had initially intended to harshly rebuke the wayward individual's actions unknowingly softened.

A memory seemed to resurface, submerging Madara's hazy eyes into a realm of nostalgia. It was... when Konoha was first established. That year marked the inaugural festival in Konoha.

That year, he stood beside Hashirama, both of them reveling in the joy of the entire village.

That year, they strolled together through the streets of Konoha, gazing at the village they had built side by side.

However, compared to him, everyone in the village favored Hashirama more. Eventually, noticing his discontent, Hashirama kindly treated him to a string of dango. "That fool..."

"Madara-sama~, Madara-sama~!"

As if responding to a distant call, Madara snapped out of his reverie. His vision blurred, as if he were witnessing Hashirama's foolish smile once more, until... Zetsu's face came into focus, and only then did he react...

"You fool!" Madara's gaze turned cold as he glared at the Zetsu before him. "Have you forgotten what I told you? Don't wander around! Don't wander around! Do you realize that we are working towards achieving peace in the shinobi world? To prove that we are right! What if we get exposed? What if we fail?"

With a disdainful snort, he shook his head and muttered in frustration, "Why did I ever implant that idiot Hashirama's cells in you?"

As he finished speaking, Zetsu continued to smile at Madara, shaking the tri-colored dango in his hand. "I understand, Madara-sama. Would you like to have some?"

"Childish! Tedious! I don't indulge in such things anymore!" Madara glanced at the tri-colored dango with disdain, pursing his lips. He then shifted his gaze to Zetsu, his wrinkled face slowly closing his eyes, partially squinting. Calmly, he asked, "You've been away for quite some time. Did you gather any useful information?"

"Y-Yes... I-I gathered... useful information?" Zetsu was slightly taken aback. If he had eyes, he might have blinked dumbfoundedly, but who knows.

However, he had merely gone out to play. He hadn't gathered any information! Moreover, gathering information had always been the responsibility of the original White Zetsu and his other clones.

At that moment, Madara also noticed, furrowing his brow as he looked at Spiral-faced Zetsu with a sigh, "Fine! Why am I even asking you, you idiot?!"

As soon as he finished speaking...

"I do!" Zetsu quickly interjected, "I have discovered some very important information!"

"?!" Madara was taken aback, then looked at Zetsu with curiosity. This guy actually managed to gather information?

"What information?" Madara asked, curious about what information this idiot could even collect.

"Well..." Zetsu held a dumpling in his left hand and scratched his head with his right, saying, "There's a high-ranking defector in the Land of Grass!"

"...Is that all?" Madara furrowed his brow, but seeing Zetsu nodding incessantly, he fell silent for a moment. His tone turned indifferent as he said, "Indeed... ninjas are the root of all chaos!"

With disdain and a sneer. "Even a small country like the Land of Grass has ninjas betraying it. It's laughable!"

"Mm-hmm~" Seeing that Madara actually listened to the information he provided, Zetsu nodded eagerly. "I heard it was someone from the high-ranking officials of the Land of Grass. They made significant contributions during the reconstruction of the Land of Grass, but who would have thought they would betray..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zetsu suddenly remembered something and hastily added, "That person is not like you, Madara-sama! Lord Madara is dedicated to the peace of the ninja world! You are the greatest of them all!"

"That's enough, be quiet!" Madara gazed expressionlessly at Zetsu. "Leave now, you always annoy me whenever you come to me!"

"Alright, alright, I'm leaving!" Zetsu nodded and said, "Madara-sama, if you need anything, just call for me..."

"Go away!" Madara interjected his words, clearly annoyed by him.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Zetsu responded in a perfunctory manner while deciding to leave.

"Wait!" However, as Zetsu was about to depart, Madara called out to him again. Zetsu abruptly stopped and turned his head, curious to see Madara, who had closed his eyes and leaned back on the chair. He hesitated for a moment and asked, "Did you call me, Madara-sama?"

After calling out, there was no response. Uchiha Madara scratched his head, thinking he might have misheard, and was about to take another step to leave.

"Put... the dumpling down." A faint voice echoed.

Zetsu was stunned, then looked at the dumpling in his hand and raised his head to gaze at Madara, who still had his eyes closed. "Madara-sama... didn't you... say not to..."

"Put it down, and then, leave!" Madara repeated anger clearly in his voice.

"Alright!" At that moment, upon realizing Madara's genuine anger, Zetsu didn't hesitate. He swiftly placed the dumpling on the plate on the stone table and hurriedly ran outside.

Until he disappeared from the cave's entrance...

Madara slowly opened his eyes, a complex expression in his gaze as he stared at the row of dumplings before him. Then, he extended his wrinkled hand and delicately picked up the dumpling skewer.

And then... He silently contemplated it... for an unknown duration. After hesitating for a moment, he slowly brought it to his mouth, his chin moving slightly as he took a bite. He murmured to himself, "Nothing compares to Konoha..."

Before he could finish his sentence... "guhh!"

A figure shot out from underground—Zetsu, who had left and returned. He grinned and said, "Oh, right! Madara-sama, it's time to wake up. Do you want to relieve yourself now? That way, you'll sleep even better later, and I can assist you..."

As he spoke, he seemed to notice something was amiss. He looked at Madara, whose face had turned pale, his right hand holding the skewer and his left hand clutching his neck. Zetsu blinked in surprise, "Lord... Madara?"

Then it dawned on him. "Madara-sama! Madara-sama! Are you choking? What should I do? What should I do? Could it be that you love eating too much? Goodness, Madara-sama, even at your age, why are you still so careless?"

Just as Zetsu panicked and didn't know what to do...

Madara seemed to have already swallowed it. His feeble yet icy voice sounded, "Leave me alone! Get out of here!"

...

Meanwhile...

Akihiko gazed at the bowed head before him, his expression filled with a complex blend of emotions. After a brief pause, he gently remarked, "Mubuki, Kusagakure has been kind to you, hasn't it?"

Upon hearing these words, Mubuki's eyes widened, and fear gripped his face as he spoke in a quivering voice, "Leader! Please don't address me in such a manner! I... I'm terrified!"

It made him feel as if he had genuinely betrayed his homeland!

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